Low car count should we be concerned this early in the season

[grt74]

The crate and 2 barrel/limited isn't any better...i know 1 guy at my local that has $28,000(Clements) in a 2brl steel motor running for about $600 to win each week...another guy has over $20,000 in his (Vic Hill Motor)....so u can't say taking Supers away will help..

yup, and at that point they could run supers, too my point exactly, so why do we have a lesser class of lates???

[mcarter815]

The problem with any form of racing is that you can't put the innovation genie back in the bottle. People will never stop innovating in their pursuit of that extra hundredth of a second, and those with the deepest pockets see no problem with how much money it costs. It's part of the reason NASCAR is in the shape it's in.

The innovation is what makes racing interesting.

[Barbecueboy]

He's talking about the guy with the american racer tires that the lab didn't have the latest bench mark because either they didn't ask or american racer didn't send it. Relatively no name, i honestly can't remember his name now i think he was number 1. Maybe autry? Scott autry? I'm not from that area so if he is known around those parts cool, i'm in the Terry phillips, Tony jackson and Stovall area.

Yep, was Scott Autry........real good regional guy.

[Barbecueboy]

He won a WoO and was tossed on tires.

Yep, another race we found out who the winner was a week after the flag dropped.

Win went to Shirley I believe.

Wasn't it exciting?

[Dante Toledo, OH]

I can't figure out how sprint car racing is so healthy. They get tons of cars and run for very, very low money. I suppose the wear and tear (unless you crash) is a lot lower than late models. In a sprint car, if you trash a frame you can get a bare frame for what $3000 or so and build it in the parking lot of a walmart in 3 hours.

Most tracks that run 410's weekly pay double what weekly late model tracks pay.

[zach51]

Most tracks that run 410's weekly pay double what weekly late model tracks pay.

Well let's look at it from a different angle. If Joe Blow Speedway changed their weekly SLM purse from $1,000 to $2,000 would they get more than 1 or 2 extra cars? I doubt it.

Was racing cheaper 25 years ago? Of course it was, and so was everything else.

[grt74]

Well let's look at it from a different angle. If Joe Blow Speedway changed their weekly SLM purse from $1,000 to $2,000 would they get more than 1 or 2 extra cars? I doubt it.

Was racing cheaper 25 years ago? Of course it was, and so was everything else.

if you only had 1 class of late models
(which it should be, as its the top class for the most part), i would say yes it will grow
and if you wanted to even the field a little, just run hard tires but then your going to have to test them from time to time and have a firm punishment

[zach51]

Good point GRT, but then we are back to square one again with the tire issues lol. Lab tests aren't cheap and that cost will get passed on to the racer. I don't know what the answer is and I don't claim to, but ya'll are all right, something needs to happen.

When there are guys that won't even unload their car for less than $5K, that tells you there is a problem.

[Highside Hustler25]

Yep, another race we found out who the winner was a week after the flag dropped.

Win went to Shirley I believe.

Wasn't it exciting?

If you were playing Monopoly, and your competitor was the banker and was skimming money out of the kitty, would you blame your competitor or Milton Bradley

Just a lil food for thought

[Kwd1253]

You all have good points on the matter. I'm sure Lucas, WoO, regional series, the top 40 drivers, track owners, promoters will come on here and listen to everyone and get SDLM back growing like it once was lol. I mean every 3 mths this same thread is made, they have to listen to this board sooner or later haha

[zach51]

You all have good points on the matter. I'm sure Lucas, WoO, regional series, the top 40 drivers, track owners, promoters will come on here and listen to everyone and get SDLM back growing like it once was lol. I mean every 3 mths this same thread is made, they have to listen to this board sooner or later haha

HA! yeah.... Maybe the problem is us, the consumers? Maybe we have too high of expectations after seeing how healthy racing was 20 years ago and 200 cars at Eldora. Maybe we are just crusty and our perspective is out of date.

[flagone]

This weekend's low car counts were more about area knowledge / scheduling than anything else. Toccoa has long depended on cars from the Carolinas. Some of the Carolinas cars went to Lancaster and some went to Toccoa. If Lancaster isn't racing Toccoa is close to a full field and vice versa. As soon as those schedules came out with that date I immediately moved the race I had in NC to another date. Finding good dates is tough now days with so many series in the region but it can be done.

[grt74]

i just think local lates need to grow, and that the other "save racers money classes" in lates have gotten very out of hand, as far as cost, think of it this way, if you have one class, it will create the trickle down effect, as far as cars,parts,and engines, and car counts would go up in 2 classes, lates and modifieds , ill leave it alone, but if you want more cars in a class, you don't split them up, i little common sense goes along way

[zach51]

I've got a buddy that just had a street stock built by Tony Jackson Jr and it looks about like a late model and probably costs the same. I don't have the heart to tell him he's crazy but, he's crazy.

[powerslide]

I've got a buddy that just had a street stock built by Tony Jackson Jr and it looks about like a late model and probably costs the same. I don't have the heart to tell him he's crazy but, he's crazy.

And he cant build them fast enough to keep up with the demand. I do a lot of head shaking at that class.

[Dante Toledo, OH]

I live in Northwest Ohio. Late model racing seems to be strong in my area. But their is a lot cooperation between tracks, series, UMP etc. Attica has a challenge series with Wayne county and Oakshade. They do the same with Sprints and Fremont speedway. All these tracks schedule the local series (Sunoco American Late Models, and American Ethanol series) in groups example ALMS at Attica Friday, Oakshade Saturday and Eldora Sunday. or AES at Attica Friday and Fremont Saturday. They don't schedule over each other. If Oakshade has a hell tour weekend, Attica schedules All Star Sprints. Etc. so if you a LateModel in this area you can run track points at 2 tracks, you can also run ALMS races and all the races are UMP points. All this helps keep and bring cars to your track. It seems to me especially in the south that tracks purposely try to pull cars from other tracks and schedule specials on top of other tracks specials and don't seem to work together at all. Also none of these tracks have steel blocks or crates. Only 1 track near me has crate models and that's the only late models they run. They run crates and Winged Sprints. All the other tracks run UMP late models.

[SLIDING SIDEWAYS]

This weekend's low car counts were more about area knowledge / scheduling than anything else. Toccoa has long depended on cars from the Carolinas. Some of the Carolinas cars went to Lancaster and some went to Toccoa. If Lancaster isn't racing Toccoa is close to a full field and vice versa. As soon as those schedules came out with that date I immediately moved the race I had in NC to another date. Finding good dates is tough now days with so many series in the region but it can be done.

Looks like this wknds cabin fever 50 @ 311 is going to be a washout. Rain for sat

[flagone]

I will look at it Friday am. The forecasts drive me nuts now. They change so often.

[SLIDING SIDEWAYS]

I have been watching it all week and compairing it to others. I was hoping for good weather as its my local track but looks like were out of luck. Fri looks good. Sat has dropped to 40% and 60% in evening

[a25rjr]

I've got a buddy that just had a street stock built by Tony Jackson Jr and it looks about like a late model and probably costs the same. I don't have the heart to tell him he's crazy but, he's crazy.

RocketMan from Phoenix City builds alot of those. Theres several in my area and they aint CHEAP!